Veteran race car driver Chris Raschke, 60, has died after crashing at approximately 280mph while attempting to set a land speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The incident occurred during the annual SpeedWeek event on Sunday afternoon.
Raschke lost control of his Speed Demon III Streamliner at around the 2.5-mile mark at 3:03pm local time. Medical professionals attended to him at the scene, but he succumbed to his injuries.
The Bonneville Nationals Inc. confirmed the death in a statement on the Southern California Timing Association's Facebook page, noting that the cause of the crash is under investigation. Raschke had been a member of the Speed Demon Racing team for 13 years.
In addition to his racing career, Raschke served as director of sales and marketing at Automotive Racing Products, a manufacturer of bolts and threaded engine fasteners for motorsport series including NASCAR and Formula One.
SpeedWeek, which began on Saturday and is scheduled to conclude on Friday, sees drivers attempt to break land speed records on the famed salt flats. The Speed Demon 715 team paid tribute to Raschke, asking for privacy for his family and friends, stating they are 'deeply devastated'.
